


Forever With You

by reneewalkerr



Category: Dead Poets Society (1989)
Genre: Boyfriends, Boys In Love, M/M, Picnics, Stargazing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 11:41:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28509840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reneewalkerr/pseuds/reneewalkerr
Summary: Todd plans something special for himself and Neil after his final performance as Puck in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'.
Relationships: Todd Anderson/Neil Perry
Comments: 3
Kudos: 28





	Forever With You

**Author's Note:**

> im not very happy with this but i hope you enjoy <3

The pier on the lake just outside the main grounds of welton academy had quickly become a special place to Todd and Neil. 

They had first ventured to the pier together when Neil was preparing for his performance as Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. That also happened to be the afternoon the pair had confessed their feelings for one another. Quite the romantic tale. 

Neil was on such a high from the excitement of playing Puck and doing something for himself, not to please his father, for once in his life. Himself and Todd were walking down the hill towards the pier, Todd was helping Neil to rehearse his lines when it happened. 

Neil had never felt so alive, running on pure adrenaline. he looked like the sun when he smiled. ‘God, I love this.’ Neil had said nonchalantly. Without thinking Todd asked, ‘what, me?’ It was meant to be a joke, not something to dwell on for too long. But without missing a beat Neil replied, ‘yes you, but-’ with his back to his friend Neil cringed. He definitely didn’t mean to say that aloud. This was certainly not the time nor the place either of them had expected to reveal their feelings for the other and it had come as quite a shock to Todd, how someone as amazing as Neil could possibly feel the same way. Todd stopped in his tracks but Neil kept walking, silently pleading to any God out there that Todd hadn’t heard him. But he had. 

‘Wait!’ Neil stopped walking and turned around to face his roommate. ‘Really?’ Todd asked softly, a furrow in his brow. Neil sighed, unsure whether to pretend it never happened or seize the moment. ‘Of course I do, Todd.’ Neil took a deep breath, ‘How could I not.’ In that moment, Todd didn’t think his life could get any more perfect. 

But it could. Todd didn’t know how he lived without being able to hold neils hand whenever he wanted, hug him whenever he needed to kiss him just because he could. It was a shame the couple had lost Charlie a $50 bet to know that they’d finally get their shit together before Christmas. 

It was mid-December and Neil had completed his run as Puck. Todd had never seen his boyfriend as happy as he was while on stage. ‘Boyfriend’. He’d never get tired of saying that. To celebrate Neil's performance and the fact Mr Perry, by some miracle, had never found out, Todd had arranged for the two of them to have a picnic on the pier the night after Neil's final show. With the help of Charlie, Todd had collected as much food as he could for their date. During a trip into town, he had picked up a bottle of sparkling grace juice- the fanciest non-alcoholic beverage he could find- to mark the occasion. 

Neil had kissed Todd senseless when he told him of the surprise. As they walked hand in hand down the hill after sneaking out of their dorm room, Todd couldn’t stop praising Neil's performance. ‘Have I told you how amazing you were tonight?’

‘Only about a hundred times,’ Neil teased, bumping shoulders with Todd. ‘Thank you. I hope you know how much I appreciate your support.’ Neil continued. The two of them had stopped walking for a moment, Neil resting his hand on Todd's cheek. ‘I know.’ Todd nodded. ‘I love you.’ ‘I love you too.’ Neil lent down to kiss his boyfriend. When they broke apart Neil dropped Todd's hand, ‘i’ll race you to the pier. 3, 2, 1..’ before Todd could even process what Neil had said Neil had started running. ‘Hey that’s not fair!’ 

In the end Neil had won, his longer legs and 3 second head start giving him the advantage. As Todd sat down next to his love, placing the bag of food beside him, he pulled a small parcel out from underneath his coat. ‘I got you something.’ Todd held the parcel out to Neil. ‘Toddy,’ Todd turned pink at the endearment, ‘you didn’t have to get me anything.’ There was so much love in Neil’s eyes and Todd felt fit to burst. ‘I know, I wanted to. you deserve it.’ Neil carefully unwrapped the brown paper from the gift and placed the scraps beside him. ‘Oh, Todd.’ Neil smiled down at the book he held in his hands. It was ‘Leaves of Grass’, a collection of Walt Whitman’s poetry. ‘I saw you flicking through it the other week and I couldn’t resist.’

A few weeks ago on a trip into the local town, Neil, Todd, Meeks and Charlie went into the first bookshop they saw and spent the chilly Saturday afternoon in the silence of the shop, flicking through paperbacks and breathing in that new book smell. While standing in the fiction section with Meeks, Todd saw Neil out of the corner of his eye flicking through the pages of Whitman’s greatest works with a content smile on his face. He knew Neil would never buy it for himself, so when Charlie dragged Neil with him to get a coffee Todd took the opportunity to quickly buy the book before the boys returned. That night while Neil was snoring softly, he wrote a little message onto the title page and wrapped it neatly before hiding it in the back of his wardrobe and slipping into bed. 

‘Why don’t you open it.” Neil carefully lifted the cover and read the message written in Todd’s recognisable, messy handwriting.

_‘To my Patroclus,_

_Constantly Consistently Continually, You._

_All my love, always._

_Your Achilles.’_

Neil stroked his fingers over the slanted lettering softly. He had recently finished reading ‘The Song of Achilles’ by Madeline Miller and hadn’t stopped raving about it to Todd, reading him paragraphs he thought he would enjoy. ‘Thank you so much, Todd. I love it.’ Neil lifted the other boy's hand to his lips and planted a featherlight kiss on his knuckles. ‘I’m glad.’

Their stomachs full and hands interlocked, the two of them lay down on the pier and looked up at the stars. Todd points out any constellations he recognised and Neil listens, soaking up every word he says. Suddenly, a shooting star flashes by which they wouldn’t have even noticed had they not been looking up at the midnight sky. ‘Make a wish.’ Neil whispers as if speaking any louder would break the moment between them. Both Todd and Neil close their eyes and think for a little while before turning to face each other again. ‘What did you wish for?’ Todd asked. ‘Doesn’t that defeat the purpose?’ Neil chuckled. ‘No, I don’t think so,’ Todd lifted his hand up between them with his pinky outstretched for Neil to hook his own finger onto, ‘I won’t tell if you wont.’ 

‘Ok then,’ Neil began to play with a loose thread on his coat, suddenly looking nervous, ‘I wished for forever with you. That probably sounds really silly but, a boy can dream right?’ he laughs wryly. ‘That doesn't sound silly at all, Neil. I wished for the same thing.’ 

‘Sometimes I wish we could just run away.’

‘Me too.’ Neil takes hold of Todd’s hand and they continue to lie on the pier in a comfortable silence, wishes and possibilities for the future hanging in the air. 

They have all the time in the world for that. Neither of them are planning on going anywhere anytime soon.

**Author's Note:**

> twt: @njostn


End file.
